MANUEL SCIMECA
Biologist and PhD in Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, (Bachelor's degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology in 2008; Master's degree in Medical Biotechnology in 2011, PhD in 2015).Adjunct Professor at the Telematic University of "San Raffaele" and at the Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences. Coordinator of the diagnostic histo-pathology laboratory at OrchideaLab s.r.l. Co-founder of the university spin-off TMALab s.r.l. and the company ORCHIDEALab s.r.l. Author of more than 100 scientific articles in indexed journals and speaker in more than 40 national and international conferences.
Papers: 114 H-index: 25 Citations: 1770 (Scopus)
Current position
Researcher of Pathology at the University of Rome "Tor Vergata".
UNIVERSITYFrom 2022 Researcher, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, Rome, RM, 00133, Italy.
From 2019 Adjunct Professor, Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences Via di Sant'Alessandro, 8, 00131 Rome, Italy.
From 2017 Adjunct Professor, Telematic University of "San Raffaele", Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166, Rome, Italy.
1/04/2019-31/3/2020 Post-Doc Fellow, Fondazione Umberto Veronesi, 20122 Milan, Italy.
1/8/2018-31/3/2019 Post-Doc Fellow, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, Rome, RM, 00133, Italy.
1/2/2015-31/01/2017 Post-Doc Fellow, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, Rome, RM, 00133, Italy.
DIAGNOSTIC ACTIVITIES
Dal 2019 Citoscreener, OrchideaLab S.r.l. Morlupo, Rome, Italy.
Dal 2019 Analysis of Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) reactions for the evaluation of HER2 gene amplification in infiltrating breast carcinomas, OrchideaLab S.r.l. Morlupo, Rome, Italy.
1/1/2013-1/1/2017 Analysis of immunohistochemical reactions. Quality control of histo-pathology laboratory. University Spin-off “TMALab s.r.l.”, via della ricerca scientifica, Rome, Italy.
TEACHING
From 2018 Bachelor’s degree in biomedical laboratory Techniques (L/SNT3), Course “Anatomic Pathology II”, SSD MED/46, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, Rome, RM, 00133, Italy.
From 2019 Master's Degree in Medical Biotechnology (LM-9), Course “Anatomic Pathology”, SSD MED/08, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, Rome, RM, 00133, Italy. From 2018 Adjunct Professor, Master's degree in Preventive and Adapted Physical Activity Sciences (Class LM-67), Course “Musculoskeletal Adaptations to Physical Exercise”, SSD MED/08, Telematic University of "San Raffaele", Via di Val Cannuta 247, 00166, Rome, Italy. From 2019 Adjunct Professor Bachelor’s degree in biomedical laboratory Techniques (L/SNT3), Course “Fundamentals of Histopathology”, SSD MED/08, Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, Via di Sant'Alessandro, 8, 00131 Rome, Italy.
RESEARCH ACTIVITY
My research activity is multidisciplinary with applications ranging from biomedical and biotechnological technologies to applied medical sciences with a focus on related translational research and its application.
Fields of research include:
From a biotechnological point of view, my main research activity concerns the development and application of laboratory medicine methods associated with both light and electron microscopy. In particular, during my laboratory work, I have developed laboratory methods such as Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis, ultrastructural immunohistochemistry (immunogold labelling) and in situ hybridisation. Ultrastructural EDX microanalysis has been used to study the elemental composition of atheromasic and neoplastic calcifications (breast and prostate carcinomas) as well as for toxicological studies focused on the exploring the role of environmental in situ accumulation in both carcinogenesis and bone diseases. Ultrastructural immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation methods have been applied for the identification of new neoplastic biomarkers. These methods have been used to carry out numerous studies published in international journals.
An integral part of my research activity is the participation in national and international congresses, the submission of patent applications and the cooperation with private institutions for translational clinical research projects.
GRANT
Co-PI: International Exchanges 2022 Cost Share - Transmission Electron Microscopy of Archived Oesophageal Cancer Biopsies for Asbestos – 12.000$ (Co-Pi: Daniel Middleton, Queen's University Belfast - Centre for Public Health. 12/2022 – 12/2023 PI: BRIC 2022 (ID#68) " Studio del potenziale cancerogeno di fibre di asbesto, nanoparticelle e metalli pesanti in una popolazione in età lavorativa: dall’analisi subcellulare all’intelligenza artificiale" €120.000 - 12/12/2022 – 12/12/2024 Collaborator: Life Science - Diagnostica avanzata (hls-da) “ecosistema innovativo della salute” del PIANO COMPLEMENTARE AL PIANO NAZIONALE DI RIPRESA E RESILIENZA– 1200000e – (PI: Professor Alessandro Mauriello)
Collaborators: “Consolidate the foundation” 2015 “Consolidate” the Vitamin D “Foundations” of the Bone-Muscle Crosstalk in Elderly” €18.000 (Pi Professor Umberto Tarantino, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy) – 01/06/2016 – 31/12/2017 Co-Pi: AFM-Telethon France (protocol #21657) “New therapeutic strategies based on FAPs-derived Exosomes in the treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy” – €50.000 (Pi, Dr. Valentina Saccone, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy). 1/01/2019 – 31/12/2020 Collaborators: Horizon 2020 (Grant Agreement No.833456)"A cyberSecurity framework to GUArantee reliability and trust for Digital Service chains" € 4.684.700 (Pi Armend Duzha, MAGGIOLI S.P.A., Italy) 1/05/2019 – 30/04/2022 Collaborators: “Beyond Borders” 2019 (protocol BonannoE20BeyondBorders) o "Transcription factor ZNF750 in breast and prostate Adenocarcinoma Progression" €16.000 (Pi Professor Elena Bonanno, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy) – 01/03/2020 – 31/12/2021 Co-Pi: BRIC 2019 (ID#58) " Ultrastructural and elemental analysis of the bioaccumulation of asbestos fibres and heavy metals in a cohort of human neoplasms "€120.000 - (Pi Professor Elena Bonanno, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy) – 01/12/2020 – 01/12/2022 Collaborators: Horizon 2020 (Grant Agreement No. 101017453) “Knowledge At the Tip of Your fingers: Clinical Knowledge for Humanity” € 8.479.900 (Pi Professor Vittorio Colizzi, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy) – 1/01/2021 – 31/12/2024
CONGRESS27-29/10/2011 SIAPEC Congress, Palermo “Ultrastructural microanalysis for metal contaminants assessment in pleuro-pulmonary cancer”
29-30/06/2012 Annual Meeting of the Italian Group for Ultrastructural Pathology Siapec-Gipu, Urbino “Ultrastructural and microanalytical study of a subcutaneous granuloma HPV Tetravalent vaccine induced: a case report”
29-30/06/2012 Annual Meeting of the Italian Group for Ultrastructural Pathology Siapec-Gipu, Urbino “Elemental composition of breast microcalcifications: comparative study in benign and malignant lesions”
29-30/06/2012 Annual Meeting of the Italian Group for Ultrastructural Pathology Siapec-Gipu, Urbino “Ultrastructural microanalysis for metal contaminants assessment in pleuro pulmonary cancer”
26-30/10/2013 SIAPEC Congress, Rome, “Mammary calcifications: active phenomenon or simple bystanders in breast cacner ?”
22-25/10/2014 SIAPEC Congress, Firenze “EDX microanalysis of breast cancer: elemental and phenotypic characterization and relationship to radiodensity of microcalcifications”
24-26/09/2015 SIAPEC Congress, Milan “Microcalcifications drive breast cancer occurrence and development.”
24-25/11/2016 Animal House course - Rome - “Tecniche di Istopatologia”
26/11/2016 SIAPEC Congress, Genova “Breast osteoblast like-cells (bolcs): the “makers” of bone metastatic process?”
20-23/10/2017 SIOT Congress, Palermo “Bone Fracture Healing: an Update”
14-16/12/2017 ORTOMED Congress, Firenze “Profilo Cellulare e Molecolare della Sarcopenia nei pazienti Osteoporotici e Osteoartrosici”
14-16/12/2017 ORTOMED Congress, Firenze “PTX3: un nuovo mediatore del metabolismo osseo e dell'osteoporosi”
28-30/06/2018 GISOOS Congress, Trieste “BMPs and Myostatin in the Sarcopenia”
9-12/11/2018 SIOT Congress, Bari “Osteoporosi e Sarcopenia”
17/10/2019 SIAPEC Congress, Torino "Combining Molecular Imaging And Pathology For Detection Of High Grade Cancer Lesions Expressing Bone Biomarkers"
8/10/2019 SIAPEC Congress, Torino “Rankl, Bmp2 And Ptx3 As Bone Metastasis Markers In Infiltrating Lobular Breast Carcinoma: Preliminary Results"
19/10/2019 SIAPEC Congress, Torino "Microcalcifications Drive Breast Cancer Occurrence And Development By Macrophages-Mediated Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition"
25-27/06/2020 GISOOS Congress (virtual) “Bone Healing”
8-12/09/2012 European Congress of Pathology, Prague “Elemental composition of breast microcalcifications: comparative study in benign and malignant lesions”
16/09/2016 I.S.Mu.L.T. Workshop – Rome “Bone morphogenetic proteins in bone healing”
01/12/2016 Sport Traumatology & Sport Medicine Meeting – Rome “Muscle for the bone quality”
12/09/2020 Virtual Congress on Breast Cancer Research “Breast Osteoblast-Like Cells In Breast Cancer: Novel Mediators, Predictive Biomarkers And Therapeutic Targets For Bone Metastatic Disease”
12/04/2021 Virtual Congress on Breast Cancer Research “Breast Osteoblast-like cells in breast cancer: novel mediators, predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets for bone metastatic disease”
COLLABORATORSProfessor Carlo Vittorio Catapano
Experimental Therapeutics Program, Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Bellinzona, Switzerland; Institute of Computational Science, Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland;Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), Lausanne, Switzerland.
Project: Identification of new therapeutic targets for metastatic breast carcinomas
Professor Giuseppina Carbone
Prostate Cancer Biology Program, Institute of Oncology Research (IOR), Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI).
Project: Identification of new predictive biomarkers of prostate carcinomas
Dottor Alessandro Bombonati
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Project: Characterization of breast carcinomas after neoadjuvant therapy
Professor Pier Lorenzo Puri
Development, Aging and Regeneration Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Project: Role of exosome-mediated extracellular communication in degenerative muscle diseases
Professor Laura Stabile
Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Project: Oestrogen/Progesterone axis in breast carcinogenesis
Editorial Activities: Co-Guest Editor for the special issue “Estrogen and Progesterone Axis in Human Cancers” – Frontiers in Oncology
Dottor Carrie-Ellen Briere
College of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA.
Project: Morphological and functional characterisation of adult stem cells from breast milk.
Editorial Activities: Co-Guest Editor for the special issue “Easily Accessible Adult Stem Cells: from Bench to Patient and Vice Versa” – Stem Cells International – Hindawi
Professor Alberto Signore
Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy.
Project: Molecular imaging of chronic inflammatory bowel disease
Professor Renata Sisto
Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Italian Workers' Compensation Authority-INAIL, Monte Porzio Catone, 00078 Rome, Italy.
Project: Study of tissue pollutants associated with occupational exposure
Professor Silvia Capuani
CNR ISC UOS Roma Sapienza, Physics Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy; Enrico Fermi Center, Rome, Italy.
Project: Study of MRI parameters for studying the microscopic characteristics of the musculoskeletal system
Professor Claudio Frank
National Center for Rare Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy.
Project: Effects of vibratory exercise on skeletal muscle tissue regeneration
Professoressa Grazia Agata D’Amico
Department of Drug Science, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy.
Project: Effects of physical activity on patients with neurodegenerative diseases
Professor Alfonso Baldi
Department of Environmental, Biological, Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", 81100 Caserta, Italy.
Project: Development of new laboratory methods for cytological analysis of breast and thyroid needle aspirates
Professor Irene Terrenato
Biostatistic Unit, Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy.
Project: New in situ biomarkers of breast cancer progression
Dr. Valentina Saccone
Dipartimento Scienze della Vita e Sanità Pubblica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Project: Exosome-mediated extracellular communication in degenerative muscular diseases
Dr. Stefano Casciardi
Dipartimento di Medicina, Epidemiologia, Igiene del Lavoro e Ambientale, Istituto Nazionale per l'Assicurazione Contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro, 00100 Rome, Italy.
Project: Identification of metal nanoparticles in human carcinomas as a marker of occupational exposure
EDITORIAL ACTIVITY
from 2017 Member of the Editorial Group of - Journal of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
from 2017 Member of the Editorial Group of - Letters In Health and Biological Sciences
from 2020 Member of the Editorial Group of – International Journal of Molecular Science -MDPI
2018 Guest Editor for the special issue “Molecular Imaging for Basic Science and Personalized and Intelligent Medicine” – Contrast Media and Molecular Imaging - Hindawi
2019 Guest Editor for the special issue “Deep Learning as a Gateway to Predictive, Preventive, Personalized, and Participatory Medicine” - Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine-Hindawi
2019 Guest Editor for the special issue “Precision Medicine in Breast Cancer: from Biological Imaging to Artificial Intelligence” – Seminars in Cancer Biology
2020 Guest Editor for the special issue “Imaging Diagnostics and Pathology in SARS-CoV-2-Related Diseases” – International Journal of Molecular Science – MDPI
2020 Guest Editor for the special issue “Bone Metastasis Challenge: New Ideas and Future Perspectives” – International Journal of Molecular Science – MDPI
2020 Guest Editor for the special issue “Calcification in Human Pathology” – International Journal of Molecular Science – MDPI
2020 Guest Editor for the special issue “Advance in Diagnostic Biomarkers of Human Cancer and Atherosclerosis” – Diagnostics – MDPI
2020 Guest Editor for the special issue “Easily Accessible Adult Stem Cells: from Bench to Patient and Vice Versa” – Stem Cells International – Hindawi
2020 Guest Editor for the special issue “Estrogen and Progesterone Axis in Human Cancers” - Frontiers in Oncology
2021 Guest Editor for the special issue “Calcification in Human Pathology 2.0” – International Journal of Molecular Science – MDPI
2021 Guest Editor for the special issue “Pathways and Molecular Targets in Prostate Cancer: From Basic Research to 4P Medicine” - International Journal of Molecular Science – MDPI
AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
2016 Best Project Award “GISOOS” (Gruppo Italiano di Studio in Ortopedia dell'Osteoporosi Severa) “The Role of Heavy Metals accumulation in osteoporosis”
2016 Best Scientific Contribution –ORTOMED congress "PTX3: un nuovo mediatore del metabolismo osseo e del differenzi amento osteoblastico", Firenze, Italy
2017 Best Scientific Contribution –ORTOMED congress “Profilo Cellulare e Molecolare della Sarcopenia nei pazienti Osteoporotici e Osteoartosici”, Firenze, Italy
2019 Project Award Fondazione Umberto Veronesi “Nuovi bersagli cellulari delle metastasi ossee da carcinoma mammario”
SPIN OFF AND PATENT
Co-Founder of the Spin-off “TMALab S.r.l.” at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
TMALab S.r.l.'s main activity is the design, production and distribution of TMAs (Tissue Micro Arrays), which represent a highly innovative tool for basic and translational biomedical research.
Co-Founder of the OrchidealLab S.r.l.”, Morlupo, Rome, Italy.
OrchideaLab S.r.l. collaborates with multinational companies to develop new devices and guidelines for imporving the service offered to Patients and Operators in the field of histology and molecular biology.
Patent (pending):
Brev/gc [A18256-00], it: 102017000081653 SM: SM-P-201700521 - Pentraxin 3 (PTX3) protein for the treatment and in vitro diagnosis of osteoporosis Inventors Dr. Manuel Scimeca – Prof. Umberto Tarantino
SELECTED PUBBLICATION
Mauriello A, Scimeca M, Amelio I, Massoud R, Novelli A, Di Lorenzo F, Finocchiaro S, Cimino C, Telesca R, Chiocchi M, Sun Q, Wang Y, Shi Y, Novelli G, Melino G. Thromboembolism after COVID-19 vaccine in patients with preexisting thrombocytopenia. Cell Death Dis. 2021 Aug 3;12(8):762.
Scimeca M, Giocondo R, Montanaro M, Granaglia A, Bonfiglio R, Tancredi V, Mauriello A, Urbano N, Schillaci O, Bonanno E. BMP-2 Variants in Breast Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition and Microcalcifications Origin. Cells. 2020 Jun 2;9(6):1381.
Scimeca M, Trivigno D, Bonfiglio R, Ciuffa S, Urbano N, Schillaci O, Bonanno E. Breast cancer metastasis to bone: From epithelial to mesenchymal transition to breast osteoblast-like cells. Semin Cancer Biol. 2021 Jul;72:155-164.
Mapelli SN, Albino D, Mello-Grand M, Shinde D, Scimeca M, Bonfiglio R, Bonanno E, Chiorino G, Garcia-Escudero R, Catapano CV, Carbone GM. A Novel Prostate Cell Type-Specific Gene Signature to Interrogate Prostate Tumor Differentiation Status and Monitor Therapeutic Response (Running Title: Phenotypic Classification of Prostate Tumors). Cancers (Basel). 2020 Jan 10;12(1):176.
Scimeca M, Bonfiglio R, Menichini E, Albonici L, Urbano N, De Caro MT, Mauriello A, Schillaci O, Gambacurta A, Bonanno E. Microcalcifications Drive Breast Cancer Occurrence and Development by Macrophage-Mediated Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Nov 11;20(22):5633.
Cardellini M, Rovella V, Scimeca M, Anemona L, Bischetti S, Casella S, Saggini A, Bonanno E, Ballanti M, Davato F, Menghini R, Ippoliti A, Santeusanio G, Di Daniele N, Federici M, Mauriello A. Chronic Kidney Disease Is Linked to Carotid Nodular Calcification, An Unstable Plaque Not Correlated to Inflammation. Aging Dis. 2019 Feb 1;10(1):71-81.
Scimeca M, Urbano N, Bonfiglio R, Schillaci O, Bonanno E. Breast osteoblast-like cells: a new biomarker for the management of breast cancer. Br J Cancer. 2018 Oct;119(9):1129-1132.
Rovella V, Anemona L, Cardellini M, Scimeca M, Saggini A, Santeusanio G, Bonanno E, Montanaro M, Legramante IM, Ippoliti A, Di Daniele N, Federici M, Mauriello A. The role of obesity in carotid plaque instability: interaction with age, gender, and cardiovascular risk factors. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2018 Mar 29;17(1):46.